Newsletter : 8fax0706.txt

Rabbinate Issues "Pringles" Ban

By Arutz-7 News Service

The Chief Rabbinate has issued an alert regarding the
cheese-flavored Pringles being imported to Israel from the United
States. According to officials in the Chief Rabbinate, that
particular flavor of the increasingly popular snack food does not
bear the supervision of the Orthodox Union "OU" as indicated by the
Hebrew label being pasted on the product by the importers.

Chareidi Community Linked to Prostitution in Israel

By IsraelWire

In the weekend edition of the National Religious Party-affiliated
"HaTzofe" newspaper, Gonen Ginat writes that 50 percent of the
nation's prostitutes are graduates of schools affiliated with Bet
Yaakov Schools, affiliated with the United Torah Judaism chareidi
(ultra-Orthodox) Party.

Tensions between HaTzofe and the Agudat Yisrael-affiliated HaModia
newspaper have been on the rise, as the NRP newspaper is supportive
of calls to draft yeshiva students who currently enjoy an exemption
from military service. In his report, Ginat added that many of the
clients supporting the nation's prostitutes are from the chareidi
community as well.

(Note: Although the NRP favors the elimination of deferments for
yeshiva students, rabbinical students affiliated with the NRP also
enjoy the same deferment from military service as do chareidi
students. Many of the NRP-affiliated students study in the Mercaz
HaRav Kook Yeshiva and only do a limited IDF service of 4-6 months
at the age of 21 or older, as is the case with a small number of
students of the chareidi community.)

Arab Leaders Meet, Condemn Israel

By Mark Lavie (VOA-Tel Aviv) and Arutz-7 News Service

A summit of Jordan's King Hussein, Yasir Arafat, and President
Mubarak of Egypt convened Sunday in Cairo. The three men issued a
statement condemning Israel for its plan to expand the municipal
borders of Jerusalem.

Mubarak warned that the plan to "Judaize Jerusalem," as he called
it, "is like playing with fire." When asked about the planned Arab
League summit meeting, Mubarak said that there is no need for it at
present, and that they wish to give a chance for the American
initiative to run its course.
Israel rejected the statement that blamed Israel for the stalemate
in Middle East peace talks.

After meeting with Arafat and King Hussein, Mubarak warned
Israel is playing with fire when it decides to expand the city
limits of Jerusalem to include West Bank settlements.

Israel flatly rejected the criticism. David bar Illan, a top
aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, charged the
three-way summit in Cairo was just another Palestinian attempt to
avoid negotiating with Israel.

He said the interim agreements between Israel and the Palestinians
require the two sides to sit down face-to-face and work out their
problems. Arafat complains meeting with Israel's present leaders is
a waste of time.

PA Newspaper Denies Holocaust

By Arutz-7 News Service

An article denying the Holocaust has been published in the official
Palestinian Authority newspaper, Al Hiyyat al-Jadida. Author Ali
Sayyif Al-Jeroen wrote, "The atrocities of the Holocaust are an
invention of the Jews, designed to arouse affection for them." He
claims that the Jews made up the story of the gas chambers, and
cynically distributed photos of Nazi soldiers shooting women and
children.

"It is clear," the article continued, "that Hitler killed some
Jews, but he did them a service, the fruits of which they are
harvesting up til this very day."

Heavy Smokers Flying to London, Via Turkey

By IsraelWire

Some Tel-Aviv businessmen who regularly fly to London explained
they are unable to refrain from smoking for five hours. They have
found a solution to bypass the new no-smoking restrictions of El Al
and British Airways.

The smokers fly to Istanbul, a 90-minute flight. Then they are able
to catch up on their smoking, and from there they continue on to
their final destination, London via Turkish Airways, where smoking
is not banned.

Dizengoff Suicide Bombing Victim Files Suit Against PA

By IsraelWire

A new immigrant from France, rendered a paraplegic from the March
13, 1996 Hamas suicide bomb attack at Tel-Aviv's Dizengoff Center
has filed a NIS 5 million law suit against the Palestinian
Authority.

State Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein said since the PLO
Authority is not a sovereign government, it does not have immunity
from prosecution. The preliminary response from the PA is the suit
is a violation of the Oslo Accord.